By Denise Tucker (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Heading into 2022-2023, the Mountain View-Birch Tree Liberty Lady Eagles will look to build upon the momentum they gained toward the end of the 2021-2022 season.
The Lady Eagles, who finished 19-7 overall and 4-2 in the South Central Association, won 13 of their last 15 games before falling in the Class 3 District 10 semifinals to Licking.
“We were blessed last season to have a strong balance of juniors and seniors with a nice blend of underclassmen,” said Eli Ernst, who is 92-41 heading into his sixth season as Liberty’s head coach. “I felt we played really competitively within all of our games.”
The Lady Eagles graduated three players, including two all-district performers, and about 30 points per game.
• Abby Woolsey, averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds per game; earned all-district and all-district honors. “Abby was a go-getter,” Ernst said. “We will miss her versatility to flex and play anywhere on the floor. She is continuing her playing career at Baptist Bible College and we can’t wait to go see her play in Springfield.”
• Lexi Shumpert, averaged 12.4 ppg and 9.3 rpg and was named all-district and all-conference. “Lexi is a tremendous young lady and a great player. Her leadership role on our team will be greatly missed. She is playing volleyball this season at Missouri State-West Plains.”
• Kenna Woolsey, averaged 5.8 ppg and 2.1 rpg. “Kenna was our best on-the-ball defender. She took great pride on the defensive end of the floor. She has left a mark on our program, and we frequently use her as an example in practice to guide others.”
“We graduated a ton of leadership and production from last year’s team,” Ernst said. “We are excited to see what players will step up this season not only on the floor but also in practice. These moments will be our guide to how we round out our team and distribute varsity jerseys.”
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Ernst will look to his veterans to lead the way this season.
• Reagan Wells, junior. Averaged 12.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg; earned all-district and all-conference honors. “Reagan is a basketball player,” Ernst said. “She is training during the season and in the offseason. She literally plays and trains all year round. Her game a year ago was showcased by her ability to hit the 3. This year, through her hard work, she has rounded into one of the top juniors in the area.”
• Hadley Chowning, sophomore. Averaged 11.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg. “Hadley is our energy! She was a freshman a year ago and grew very quickly. She had several 20-point games. She is one of the fastest players I have ever coached with the dribble. She is a player that will take over a game in a short amount of time.”
• Sydnee Lafevers, senior. Averaged 3.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg. “Sydnee has played lots over the past three years. She has been involved in lots of big games as a role player on our team. This year, it’s her turn to move to the forefront and be a bigger piece to the puzzle.”
• Chloe Kelts, senior. Averaged 2.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg. “Chloe is a slasher on the offensive end of the floor. However, this summer she showed she is more than capable of growing her defensive game. As a senior this year, it’s time to be the player she knows she can be.”
• Lyla Cornman. Averaged 3 ppg, 4.2 rpg. “Lyla is our hard-work girl. She is a rebounder, screener, and simply does the work others would shy away from. We feed off her toughness on the floor and are blessed to have her on our team.”
Ernst said the Lady Eagles have several players who could make a case for varsity minutes this year.
• Ella Phipps – “A flex guard/forward who brings some versatility to our squad.”
• Macey Bolander – “Our defensive, high-energy girl who loves to guard.”
• Addy Rutledge – “A great 3-point shooting option from our bench.”
• Kaylie Foster – “A girl who grew her game as much as anybody this summer!”
• Kallie Henry – “An inside presence who we know will rebound!”
“We are excited coming out of our summer schedule and into this season,” Ernst said. “Our girls have put in significant work and we know there is much more to be done. From 6:30 a.m. open gyms, to weights in the afternoons, we have had the opportunity to develop as athletes and as players individually.”
The Lady Eagles open the season at home against Alton on Nov. 21.
“We expect and know that our squad will compete on a nightly basis,” Ernst said. “We respect our opponents and also know that success is only found through hard work. Talent certainly helps but working hard can and will triumph over just talent.”
